The pandemic ruthlessly invaded the socio-economic life and forced a change in the organization of work overnight. Procedures were introduced to maintain the sanitary regime, and some companies had to suspend their operations. Corona-crisis showed that the trade sector, and in particular its part dealing with the sale of food and basic products, is necessary to maintain fundamental social functions, and the employees of this sector were classified as essential workers. Even in the period of the greatest spread of the coronavirus, grocery stores had to be kept open. The employees of the stores, on the other hand, tried to provide maximum protection against infection, so that the economic bloodstream would not be interrupted. Trade workers and their protection have become a priority as in the case of healthcare, transport and logistics workers.

The quick adaptation of the trade sector to the sanitary regime and fulfilling a strategic social function required effort on the part of management and the employees themselves. That is why social dialogue has become an instrument of adaptation to a dynamically changing situation.

The main goal of the project "Employee involvement in decision-making in times of crisis is the key to effective organization of the company's work" is to increase the involvement and participation of employees in the trade and services sector in the processes of managing changes in their workplaces, especially those related to adapting the company's operations to the requirements of functioning during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing them with knowledge and tools to facilitate informed participation in change management processes.

The project covers seven countries - Montenegro, Spain, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Italy - and aims to study the mechanisms of social dialogue during a pandemic in the trade sector using the method of individual interviews and surveys. The result of the study will be national reports and a comparative report, which will contain recommendations on the shaping of a new model of social dialogue in emergency situations, such as an epidemic. The project will also be accompanied by an information campaign aimed at informing employees about their rights to participate in change management in their workplace, about possible ways of involving them in this process, and about the advantages of such active participation. Campaign based on short video spots with graphics - short, simple, visually attractive, understandable. The project will end with a conference presenting the results of the partnership's work.

Project duration: April 2021 – March 2023

Partnership:

1. Confederación Sindical Independiente (FETICO - Spain) – leader 
2. Bildungswerk der Sächsischen Wirtschaft gGmbH (BSW - Germany) 
3. Confederazione dei Sindacati Autonomi dei Lavorator (CONFSAL - Italy) 
4. Unija poslodavaca Srbije (UPS - Serbia) 
5. Unija poslodavaca Crne Gore (UPCG - Montenegro) 
6. Instytut Spraw publicznych (IPA - Poland) 
7. Associação Sindical Independente (ASSIFECO - Portugal) 
8. Associação Sindical do Pessoal Administrativo da Saúde (ASPAS - Portugal) 

The project is co-financed by the European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. Budget line: „Information, consultation and participation of representatives of undertakings”. Grant agreement numer: VS/2021/0081